Food for the Hungry joins AIDS fight with a multi-million dollar grant.

International (MNN)–Food for the Hungry has won an eight-point-two million dollar, five-year federal grant aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

The funding comes from the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a 15-billion dollar federal government initiative that currently focuses on 15 countries around the world that currently experience the greatest HIV/AIDS prevalence. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will oversee the program.

What’s unusual is that there are no strings attached for agencies granted. FFH’s Ben Homan says their involvement is aimed at mobilizing faith-based and community organizations toward abstinence-based education.

Food for the Hungry was instrumental in forming a coalition with eight other faith-based organizations in assembling a positive, proactive response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Homan says, “We want to multiply impact. The way you multiply impact is to have grassroots support and grassroots volunteers and communities and countries. Our best grassroots is working through the church.”

They’ll be working in three African countries and Haiti, areas where churches are now becoming vocal in the AIDS issue. “People are going to come into a relationship with other people. This is an opportunity for the church to draw closer to the people in their own communities. People need the compassion and love of Christ. This will lift the church up.”